Virtually every home, restaurant and place of business utilizes a toilet. With the increased emphasis on providing equal access to the handicapped and growing number of the elderly, many bathrooms are equipped with rails and other devices to aid the individual while using the toilet. such devices increase the safety of using the toilets and thus benefit the handicapped, elderly and the population in general.
Overlooked in all the toilet safety devices is the stability of the toilet seat when the seat is lowered and the individual is sitting on the seat. Often the supporting device used on virtually all toilet seats will slip, which can result in a damaging fall to the individual. This danger is especially true for individuals of limited mobility, who often first arrive on the seat with great momentum or at an unusual angle.
As a result of the instability of toilet seats, the hinge which connects the seat to the toilet bowl often loosens. This problem is compounded by the fact that most bowls are porcelain or ceramic and cannot be adequately secured or repaired. Thus, the industry has gone to very expensive hinges to combat the loosening of the hinge resulting from seat instability.
Thus, there is a great need for a device which is cost effective and can guide and stabilize the seat when in the lowered position. Especially beneficial would be a device which can replace the device currently utilized to separate the toilet seat from the toilet bowl but yet provide improved guiding and stabilization. The present invention satisfies this need and provides related advantages.